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johns1974

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Everything posted by johns1974

  1. Thanks for the thoughts, guys. Here are some more photos per CD's request. There is plenty of air coming from the tailpipe so I really dont think a critter made a nest in the muffler, but that would be interesting! Hans, in my original post, the "shiny" spot is at the bottom of the exhaust flange. I had wiped the area with a towel and smeared the oil making the bottom of the downpipe flange "shiny." The manifold bolts going into the head have a little oil around them but I'm hoping they look OK to the experienced eyes on this board. The smoke is very distinctly coming from the bottom of the header/downpipe junction and nowhere else. Again, thanks for the help!
  2. Upon starting the car for the first time this winter, smoke started coming out of the junction between the header and the exhaust pipe. There is oily residue on the bottom of the flange and the smoke is coming off of that area (obviously burning it off). The smoke didn't stop or slow down, at all, when climbing to operating temp. I was hoping it would just burn off - no such luck after 15 minutes or so. On the picture, you can see the shiny spot where I wiped off the oil that was there Questions from the amateur: There must be a gasket there - is it as easy to replace as it looks? Can someone give me a quick "how-to"? Is it dangerous/stupid to drive the car with this leak? Or can I get away with it for a test drive? Any thoughts are much appreciated, as always!
  3. i just installed it and it works fine... it is a little shorter than I would like but it is functional. The total length is just under an inch so there isn't a lot of room to spare when butting the hose clamps next to each other.
  4. Funny - I just went through this exact search with the fuel line from the fuel pump to the Weber carb which is also a 6mm-8mm difference. The plastic one broke on me (thankfully in the garage). I found a 1/4"-3/8" brass reducer at Grainger: http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/PARKER-Union-Reducer-2GUF7 hopefully it will work for me, i'm picking it up today.
  5. (Not trying to hijack this thread).... BUT...., Carl, who is your mechanic in SoCal? I'm always looking for good ones. Bruce Barthel in Chatsworth does most of my stuff and he's been great.
  6. I finally got under the car and replaced those sway arm end links and the car is CLUNK free. I did all four corners while I was under there and it really couldn't have been easier. The hardest part was getting the front and rear up on the ramps at the same time. The next thing that looks iffy is the rubber hanging supports for the muffler... they are pretty cracked but hanging in there for now. Thanks for all the advice... keeping the car loaded on the suspension on the ramps made it super easy.
  7. Hey Catman, Thanks for the awesome advice! I'm going to quit my job and eat, sleep, dream and dedicate my life to this stuff just like you said. Then I'll cash out my 401k and build a mega garage. That's so much more practical than asking questions on this lame message board. My $5000 car is worth more to me than my career and family anyway... You're my hero. All the rest of you guys need to quit being so helpful and considerate to us no talent new guys and start acting more condescending!! Then this site will be worth something! I feel better now...
  8. Per my questions in original message - Could these bushings be the culprit? Everything else suggested seemed to be OK... I'm grateful to anyone who can offer a name, part number and/or source for these. (The equivalent rear bushings also are pretty busted up, as well, so I'll replace those) Also, is replacing these as straight forward as it looks? i.e. take off the top nut, lift off the arm, replace bushing, replace nut? Do I need to relieve tension on any of the suspension to make it easy? Thanks so much for any guidance! Obviously, I'm new to this wrenching stuff.
  9. I love that this idea might be gaining a little traction! So is it possible to come up with a specific channel on you tube where all these can be housed in one place? It would be a pain in the ass to have to search all over you tube and sift through all the 2002 vids to get to this specific collection. This is awesome... Thanks to all!
  10. Per my questions below - Could these bushings be the culprit? Everything else suggested seemed to be OK... I'm grateful to anyone who can offer a name, part number and/or source for these. (The equivalent rear bushings also are pretty busted up, as well, so I'll replace those) Also, is replacing these as straight forward as it looks? i.e. take off the top nut, lift off the arm, replace bushing, replace nut? Do I need to relieve tension on any of the suspension to make it easy? Thanks so much for any guidance! Obviously, I'm new to this wrenching stuff. ========================== When driving at freeway speeds and hitting sharp expansion joints in the concrete, there is a fairly loud "clunk" coming up from what feels like is right under my feet. The "clunk" only happens when driving over a very sharp/quick suspension impact (expansion joints are the worst but pot holes and cracks in the asphalt can cause it too) and never happens any other time. Hard cornering, long suspension travel etc, do not cause the clunk. If there are repeating expansion joints, I get repeating clunks. I have been under the car and cannot see or feel anything associated with the drive shaft which was my best guess... I can't get it to "clunk" unless I drive it... Any ideas? TIA
  11. This would be great to see! This too! Please bring the camera along and feel free to speak about and point out other things you notice or are on your to do list. Thanks!!
  12. Hamada and his door brake issue made me think of this... How about creating a 2002FAQ YouTube channel where newbies (like me!) can watch real wrenchers fix common (or not so common) problems? How cool would it be to watch someone change out a windshield or rear glass? How about watching someone set the jetting on a carb? Installing a Pertronix? A brake job/upgrade? Lube/Replace a speedo cable? Inspect/change a guibo? Install sway bars? Install Esty's carpet kit? Trunk mount a battery? Change a thermostat including burping the bubbles? Change a head gasket? Install an electric fan? Console mods? Dash replacement? Turn signal upgrades? etc etc etc etc etc etc..... If I had any of these skills I'd be all over this, but I'd have to be just be a viewer. Every 2002 owner wants to do a bunch of the work themselves but many are just intimidated/scared of f'ing things up. As awesome as this board is, a video explains things much better than the written word for many things. Is a YouTube channel possible? I'd even be willing to kick in a few bucks if that would help! Someone must be able to make my dream come true.... The regular contributors to this board are some of the best teachers I have ever "met"!!
  13. So when you are pulled up to a stop light, do you keep the clutch pedal pushed in to the floor while leaving the gear selector in the 1st gear slot? Then just take off when the light turns green... Or Do you slip the car out of gear, release the clutch pedal and then engage it only when the light turns green? I had an experienced racing guru tell me that option #2 is always better so I try to do it. I just can't remember why he thought idling with the car out of gear and the clutch pedal "out" whilst at a stoplight was preferred... Is there a reason? Just curious!
  14. smhheidari - i have to ask... How much $$$ is petrol over there right now? (My neighborhood is $4 per gallon) Great cars - thanks for sharing
  15. Obviously - "As often as possible!" Now that we have that out of the way - If you have a nice '02 as a second or third car, what's the minimum you should drive it to keep it "fresh"? In the old days, Sunday drives were the thing to do... Is that enough to keep a 40 year old car running well? I notice that the more I drive mine, the better it runs (up to a point). I wouldn't drive mine cross country at this stage. If you park yours, what is the longest you'll let it sit where you notice things ain't quite right? The older I get the more I realize how much my car and I have in common: -I can't do many of the things I used to do but I still sometimes think I can -The more i exercise the better i feel -Sitting around and doing nothing is the worst thing I can do to myself -I'm still capable of more at this age than almost all my friends and most of the guys 10-15 years younger -If i push myself too hard, I always feel it the day after!
  16. No EGR, non-smog legal carb, "gross polluter" on last smog test. :-/ If you are planning to keep this car, you will need to take some drastic action. You can't keep looking for someone to cheat for you every two years. Smog stations are no longer willing to risk it even for their "friends." Too many are getting busted and the penalties are severe on the shop. And the laws don't look like they are going to change anytime soon. And that is why 76s are worthless in California. Yeah, I bought it when I was a teenager before they changed that law. I'm kind of stuck with it now... Considering the historical plates option, but I'm not sure what the penalties are for being busted not driving it to a show. It is my commuter. Take the car to Jack Fahuna in Van Nuys or Bruce Barthel in Chatsworth and see what they can do for you. I've had two friends in the past two years get pulled over and their cars TOWED with no warning for just having expired tags. One in Burbank, one in Santa Monica. It is a very cheap/easy way for the city to get a few extra bucks. Traffic cops are under crazy pressure to write more tickets, especially in the West Side of LA... Get the thing fixed (even if only temporarily) or trade someone for an '89 Honda that will pass every time. Good Luck!
  17. So the 1974 Alpina A4S for sale at 2002AD obviously catches the eye: http://2002ad.com/pages/carsforsale.cfm I'm curious about the history of these cars. Anyone know how many were made? How rare is "rare"? Apparently a "handful" of 2002's were sent to Alpina directly from the BMW factory for this treatment but what was done by Alpina specifically. How impossible would it be to find replacement parts? Any performance #'s? I did some searching online and came up with some interesting photos but not a lot of solid info. $75k is a lot of dough but does that seem "cheap" by collector car standards? Any info appreciated... I love learning the history of all the iterations of these cars
  18. So it is able to be installed with the existing 4 bolts or does one need to drill new mounting holes? Do they need a core or is it "from scratch"?
  19. Thanks for all the responses! Looks like the 1st thing I'll do is put on an electric fan and I think I'll still do the 3-core upgrade, as well. IE's fan kit seems the most reasonable. Those Spal fans are $175 just for the fan plus all the harnesses etc. It looks like $250 or more to get the fan working. I'm curious which Spal fan you chose (there are dozens) and how you mounted it... TIA!
  20. i've gotten mixed information on whether a 400mm "tropical" fan will fit with a '76 fan shroud... Anyone know for sure? Or is a 360mm fan with a shroud better than a 400mm alone? Thanks for the quick response!
  21. I've recently moved to the desert in California and all of July/Aug are basically well over 100 degrees every day. My car (1974 '02 - mostly stock) always ran a little warm but now is going to cook. Which option/upgrade do you think might be best? 1. 3 core upgrade of my existing radiator which is still solid (approx $250 at a local shop) 2. Ireland Eng upgraded radiator ($325) http://www.iemotorsport.com/bmw/2002-cooling/02alumrad.html 3. BavAuto 320i radiator upgrade ($269 + shipping) I am not opposed to going away from stock (my car has a different motor than it was born with and will never win concours) and my primary incentive is getting something that really works. To me, the difference in $$$ is negligible for something that will work. Whatever I go with, I'll be sure to use water wetter. The car is used for fun and I'd like to be very confident in the cooling capacity if I go for a run over the Angeles Crest... I don't want to warp a head or ruin a head gasket trying to get back home. Thanks for any opinions/tips and sharing experiences!
  22. As always, BLUNT got it done... Thanks a ton!
  23. BLUNT - I had a problem with an order for my M3 I placed on your site today (july 8). (My fault) Please e-mail me. I can't seem to find you phone number anywhere. Thanks!
  24. c.d. - The clunking only happens when there is wheelspin due to lack of traction (i.e. an old fashioned burnout.) If the rear wheels are hooked up, I can mash the throttle to the floor at any rpm and everything is fine. Since it only happens when the rears are slipping under power, does that limit the possible causes? Thanks, as always.
  25. Here's another noobie question... SoCal had its first mini rain storm of the year and with the roads a little slick I noticed that any time i got on the throttle and there was wheel spin there was what sounded to be a pretty serious clunking under my right foot. Its quite loud and pretty violent and repetitive (not just one clunk... its like clunkclunkclunkclunkclunk...) Definitely an incentive to keep it under control! I haven't broken this car loose much in the past, but just noticed it and thought I'd ask all the pros on here. It drives great under "normal" driving... Any thoughts on where to look first? In my old 4x4 I'd guess U-joint but after crawling under the car there doesn't seem to be any play... TIA
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